Joe Biden Urges Immediate Release of Nigerian President Bazoum

Washington – The United States President Joe Biden on Thursday urged for the immediate release of Niger's elected President Mohamed Bazoum and for the country's democracy to be preserved. 

“I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy,” President Biden said in a statement to mark the 63rd anniversary of Niger’s independence.

“In this critical moment, the United States stands with the people of Niger to honour our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for civilian-led governance,”

Bazoum was ousted a week ago by his own guard in a coup condemned by the United States, European Nations, United Nations, and the Ecoomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

“The Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections — and that must be respected," President Biden remarked. 
   
Biden’s comments came as the country’s junta appeared on television to warn against foreign military interference. Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, in one of few addresses since seizing power from Bazoum, warned against foreign meddling and intervention.
   
Tchiani called on “the people of Niger to defeat all those who want to inflict unspeakable suffering on our hard-working populations and destabilise our country”.

   
Bazoum in 2021 won the elections that ushered in Niger’s first peaceful transition of power. He took the helm of a country burdened by four previous coups since independence from France in 1960.
   
The clock is ticking on a demand made on Sunday by ECOWAS for the coup leaders to restore Bazoum to power within a week or face the possible “last resort” of military intervention.
   
The United States has also ordered its non-emergency officials out of Niger. The Department of State, in a statement by its spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said America has no higher priority than the safety and security of its citizens overseas. 
   
It added that given ongoing developments in Niger: “The Department of State is ordering the temporary departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from the US Embassy in Niamey. 
   
“Commercial flight options are limited. We updated our travel advisory to reflect this and informed US citizens that we are only able to provide emergency assistance to US citizens in Niger, given our reduced personnel.
   
“The US Embassy remains open for limited emergency services to U.S. citizens. The State Department continually adjusts its posture at embassies and consulates throughout the world in line with its mission, the local security environment, and the health situation.”
   
Also, the Nigerian military, yesterday, clarified it had not received any green light from the Commander-in-Chief to intervene in the political crisis rocking Niger.
   
The former Nigerian Head of State was joined in the delegation by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray. 
   
The President also sent a separate delegation led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria on the Niger crisis. 
   
Briefing the two delegations, Tinubu charged them to engage all stakeholders robustly, with a view to doing whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for the purposes of African peace and development.
   
“We don’t want to hold briefs for anybody. Our concern is democracy and the peace of the region,” the President said.